Maine’s legendary North Woods is the largest remaining undeveloped forest in the Eastern United States. The character of this treasured 10.4 million acre region is at risk of being lost forever, as rapid changes in ownership have brought unprecedented pressures – from development to heavy logging. Acre by acre, from small subdivisions to massive proposals like Plum Creek’s, the remote nature of this region is being eroded. NRCM is fighting to protect what makes this region unique by looking at the North Woods as a whole and helping to direct its future.

Maine’s North Woods makes up more than half of the entire state. The landscape of the region is rapidly changing and its future is uncertain, largely because in the last fifteen years, paper companies have sold their land to private investors, real estate developers, and pension funds.

Paper companies now own only about 15% of Maine’s North Woods; investors, including real estate companies (REITs), timber investment management organizations (TIMOs), and developers, own more than half of the forest. These investors may have no connection to the state of Maine and most do not plan to own the land longer than eight to twelve years.

These major changes in land ownership have created challenges and opportunities.

One result of these sales has been an increase in conservation lands. Most of this increase is in conservation easements that have been purchased using public funds and charitable contributions. These easements remove development rights but leave ownership of the land in private hands. The state and private non-profit conservation groups have also purchased some conservation lands outright, and now own them.

Despite this progress, random, often misguided development is still occurring throughout Maine’s North Woods. Since the establishment of the Land Use Regulation Commission in 1971 (now the Land Use Planning Commission), two-thirds of development in the North Woods has occurred without any review of its location, allowing “wilderness sprawl” to reach into the most remote sections of the North Woods. In addition, the largest development ever proposed in Maine has been approved by the courts for the Moosehead Lake region.

Development sprawl throughout the North Woods has serious impacts on wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities, and the future of the forest products and nature-based tourism industries.

Maine’s North Woods are a significant part of Maine’s heritage, cultural identity, and forest products and nature-based tourism economies. Now is the time to look at the entire North Woods and help chart a course for the future.

NRCM has created a PowerPoint presentation that outlines the changes that are happening in the North Woods. It looks at the challenges and options we face at this crossroads. To learn about hosting a presentation in your neighborhood contact Eliza Donoghue at nrcm@nrcm.org.